Aarhus (: ˈɒːhus, ˈɒːhuːˀs) also commonly known by its contemporary Danish spelling Århus, is the second largest city and the principal port of Denmark situated on the peninsula of Jutland. Aarhus is the seat of the council of Aarhus municipality and claims the unofficial title "Capital of Jutland".

Demographics

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Aarhus city holds almost 300,000 citizens, but within a 30 minute drive there are around 700,000 inhabitants making it the second most populated area in Denmark after the Copenhagen area. The built up area around Aarhus is more or less from Skanderborg in the south to Studstrup in the north — about 40 km from north to south.

Aarhus has been growing steadily at about 1% per year since 1950 when the city had about 177,000 inhabitants. The University of Aarhus hopes to get 20,000 more students in the next six years, so the city will need to build many more residences for the new students; already the city council has decided to make many more large suburbs for some 100,000 new citizens before 2030.

Since the city is home to a range of education centres, the population of Aarhus is both younger and better-educated than the national average.

12% of the population are immigrants, which is high for Denmark, but modest when compared to some other European cities. The largest immigrant groups in 2005 were Lebanese (4,368), Turks (3,936), Somalis (3,113), Iraqis (2,728), and Iranians (2,188). These groups live mainly in the western parts of Aarhus.
Other large groups include Vietnamese (2 373), Poles (1 368), Germans (1 490), Afghans (1 134), Norweigens (1 111), Britons (745) etc.
Geography

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The city lies roughly in the geographical centre of Denmark in the relatively sparsely populated peninsula of Jutland with large natural areas and reserves nearby. Forests reach from the south into the city to within just a kilometre of the city centre. The city is built mostly around the harbour, which is predominantly industrial, although a large recreational marina is situated south of it as an extension.

While some of the highest points of Denmark are close to the city, the general landscape is typically flat with large swathes of farmland interspersed with forests and meadows. The coastline consists mostly of sandy beaches, but stony areas are not uncommon. The immediate coastal regions are not heavily populated due to a national policy of keeping residences inland rather than crowding the coast.

The city lies at the junction of railway lines from all parts of the country. To the southwest (about 21 km by rail) lies a picturesque region that contains the Gudenå. Several larger lakes extend West from the Skanderborg railway junction and rise to heights exceeding 152 metres in the Himmelbjerget. The railway traverses this pleasant district of moorland and woodland to Silkeborg, a modern town in one of the most attractive areas in the kingdom.

History

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The bishopric of Aarhus dates back to at least 951, and archaeological findings date back some 1300 years to Viking times. The city itself is...